POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Brooch by Lucie Dalgarno

Object No. A8649

Lucie Gertrude Dalgarno (1874-1945) was a prolific artist and designer. Often known as Gertie, she had a passion for brilliant colour and created many new techniques in her work that reflected the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century. When her husband, Charles Robert Dalgarno died in 1912 she had four young children to support. She went to work at Ward's in York Street, Sydney, embroidering her designs onto garments. In 1916 she joined the Society of Arts and Crafts of NSW and exhibited her work in their gallery in Rowe Street. In the early 1920s she painted batik designs on clothing for David Jones and employed up to four girls to carry out the repeat work. Dalgarno opened a studio shop in Victoria Arcade near Rowe Street in Sydney where she designed bridge capes and made kid leather native flowers spray brooches and handbags for customers. Wool and kid gum blossoms were a particular favourite and she made many thousands of them, though few survive. Her daughter, Jan, remembers Lucie painting kid leather flowers with Kodak tinting inks and how everyone sent her their used kid gloves to recycle into this inventive jewellery. All her work involved painting either on silk, velvet or kid leather. Some floral sprays made use of painted fish scales. Japanese influences are evident in the cut of her garments and the concept of the garments being 'canvases' for her painting. Dalgarno was an adventurous woman and raised considerable funds for the war effort through her painting and clothing designs. Her car trip across the United States in 1939 gave her an opportunity to raise money through lectures about her experiences in a world that would never be quite the same again. Lindie Ward 14/1/09 ref: L.G.Dalgarno 'With Sketchbook in Hand; Letters from the USA, 1939' pub. Seaview Press, 2008

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Summary

Object Statement

Brooch, Australian wildflowers, leather / wool, by Lucie Dalgarno, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1920-1930

Physical Description

Brooch which features an arrangement of Australian wildflowers in painted kid leather and wool. A fastening pin is attached to a fabric mount on reverse.

DIMENSIONS

Height

130 mm

Width

100 mm

Depth

30 mm

PRODUCTION

Notes

Brooch made by Lucie Dalgarno in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1920-1930. Dalgarno used photographic inks to colour the leather she used for these pieces. Dalgarno's granddaughter, Janet McCredie, watched her grandmother do this painting as a child.

SOURCE

Credit Line

Gift of Jean Taylor under the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 1982

Acquisition Date

21 December 1982

Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.

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